Lesbian.com, June 4, 2012
Queen Latifah may want to get a revolving door for that closet of hers. Just two weeks after headlining at the Long Beach Pride festival the rapper-actress-singer is denying that remarks she made at the appearance constituted her coming out.
While on stage at the May 19 event, Latifah purportedly referred to the crowd as “her people” and asked, “Are you feeling the unity?” leading some to believe that she had officially come out. However, in an interview with “Entertainment Weekly” she asserts “that definitely wasn’t the case,” adding, “I’ve never dealt with the question of my personal life in public. It’s just not gonna happen.”
Apparently the 42-year-old performer was using the phrase “her people” in the most general sense, referring perhaps to southern Californians or the entire human race, rather than the predominantly gay and lesbian crowd to which she was speaking.
Though resistant to discuss her personal life Latifah hasn’t wavered in her willingness to accept a paycheck from – or, depending on one’s perspective, show her support for – the LGBT community. “To me, doing a gay pride show in one of the most fun things. My first show that paid more than $10,000 was in a gay club on New Year’s Eve in San Francisco.”
Suspicious fire at suburban Chicago gay club
A fire gutted the Velvet Rope Ultra Lounge destroying the Chicago suburb’s only gay bar. The cause of the fire has been deemed “suspicious” after anti-gay graffiti was found on the establishment’s charred walls.
Frank Elliot, owner of the Oak Park, IL bar, said that he was “shocked” by the fire that broke out around 6a.m. Sunday, saying he became suspicious after noting that the back door of the lounge had been kicked in and anti-gay graffiti scrawled on the walls, while a safe located in Elliot’s office was left untouched.
“My whole life, everything that I’ve worked for … my whole life is on the line and I don’t know what to think or even begin with,” Elliot told WGN.
Miley Cyrus tweets support
Miley Cyrus kicked off Pride season by once again demonstrating her support for the LGBT community, donning a “Homophobia is a social disease” button in a photo she posted on Twitter Saturday.
The 19-year-old singer and actress has been very vocal in her support of gay rights, having previously gotten a small “equals” sign tattooed on her middle finger and following up with an article she wrote for Glamour magazine explaining the move. “I believe every American should be allowed the same rights and civil liberties. Without legalized same-sex marriage, most of the time you cannot share the same health benefits, you are not considered next of kin and you are not granted the same securities as a heterosexual couple. How is this different than having someone sit in the back of the bus because of their skin color?”
Thanks, Miley. It’s good to have you along for the “The Climb.”
